Colleen decided to redirect her life by making her health a top priority

Colleen Joy Liebenberg is a loving mother and wife from Benoni and at 49 years young, Colleen decided to redirect her life by making her health a top priority.

Colleen went to Martin Primary School in Boksburg where she incidentally met a Slender Wonder doctor, Dr. Sharon Lion-Cachet. She could never imagine the further impact Dr. Sharon, who is now her friend, would have on her life in the future.

In March 2019, she reached her turning point deciding that enough was enough. “I started to feel old and frumpish and had aches and pains all over my body.” The state of Colleen’s health was affecting her everyday life. Struggling to get up after sitting and a labored walk were some of the challenges she faced.

Colleen struggled with despondency towards life and herself. Although she tried to cut down on her eating habits nothing seemed to work. Her self-esteem took a huge knock. “My husband noticed that I didn’t like myself anymore.”

Colleen has struggled with her weight since falling pregnant with her first child in 1997. Losing the pregnancy weight was a challenge, she lost some weight but did not get down to her original weight. After falling pregnant with her second child just three years later she picked up 16kg. Her bad eating habits and response to the demands of a full-time career and a young family were at the core of the problem.

Colleen discovered Slender Wonder after driving past Dr. Sharon’s practice and seeing the signboards outside. She did further research on the programme and decided that this is the programme that might just work for her. Colleen felt that she needed to be accountable to someone and that her weight loss journey needed to be monitored. The structure of the Slender Wonder programme was a huge selling point for her.

With her husband’s persistence, Colleen decided to pay Dr. Sharon a visit. She needed a big push from her partner and began her weight loss journey on 26 March 2019. “At first, when I read the booklet and saw the eating plan, I felt very depressed. I felt I would never be able to eat properly ever again.” With the motivation from her family and Dr. Sharon her sense of hopelessness quickly faded as she realized she never ate properly to begin with.

Colleen pushed through her self-doubt by planning! She always planned and prepared her meals ahead, and made sure to pack a healthy Slender Wonder approved lunch to work. Colleen’s resilience is clear as she continued to cook for her family and simply prepared her meals separately. “It really didn’t take that long and I even found myself cooking healthier options for my family.”

Curbing her cravings was made easier with the support from her doctor. Dr. Sharon made the difference between hunger and just being “lus” clear. Colleen kept her meals interesting by purchasing the Slender Wonder recipe books. “Each time I weighed and saw the amazing progress, it just helped me on my next step.”

What Colleen enjoyed most about the programme was the full body analysis. It not only helped her to see her weight loss but showed her how her body was changing in others ways too. “The best was when I saw the visceral fat reading go under 20, then I knew I was making progress towards a healthier lifestyle.” Naturally all of the health benefits that followed her lifestyle change were a huge bonus too.

Colleen went from having no energy and sleeping all the time to having a constant source of energy and she felt that she was physically and mentally refreshed. The ties between diet and all other elements of life were clearly evident. “Dr. Sharon was also so encouraging and sometimes I think she was more excited about my weight loss than I was.” Colleen loves structure and describes the structure of the programme as one of the things she most enjoyed.

It was not all easy sailing for Colleen. She felt that her biggest challenge was other people. She was losing weight quickly and this resulted in those around her passing negative comments. “They will tell you that you look gaunt or older. I had to be strong and take my husband’s word for it. He was always honest with me and I knew I was doing this for me. I set my goals and I stuck to that and tried not to listen to people’s negative comments.”

Getting invited out or to parties was also a challenge but Colleen overcame this once again through planning. “Life has to carry on so just roll with the punches and after having that one cheat get back on the bus straight away.”

Colleen lost 26kg in 5 short months. She opted for two 8-week cycles and a stabilisation month. She is currently and has been on the maintenance phase of her journey for the past three months and has lost an additional 3,4kg since. Colleen has also taken up exercise!

Colleen has never been one for fad diets. She tried alternate eating plans and diets but none were sufficient. She believes that Slender Wonder is different because it targets the correct fats and trains your body to get rid of them for good. She also accredits her belief in the programme to the fact that the diet also corrects your blood sugar levels which ultimately helped her push through cravings.

“IT REALLY WORKS! You see results instantly and in all the right places. I am still amazed. I have never looked the way I look now!”

Physically, Colleen is able to do more. She exercises five times a week and even partakes in Parkruns. She’s able to spend more time with her family, enjoying playing games with them that she previously could not. The aches and pains she felt have subsided and other health problems have since disappeared. “I have never been fitter than I am now which is all thanks to the energy I now have.” She remains focused and dedicated to staying healthy and fit.

Psychologically she has never been in a better place. “I feel amazing. I am so much more positive about life and myself. I like who I am and that is good for the soul. When I buy clothes, they actually fit!”

Colleen feels that her experience with the Slender Wonder programme is enough to give anyone hope. Slender Wonder kick started her weight loss and it kept her on the path to her goals. “I have seen many friends and colleagues try this and all have been successful.” Her motto centers around organization, focus and weight.

“Don’t think you can’t lose weight, you can with Slender Wonder.”